Dishwasher appliances generally include a tub that defines a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing. In addition, dishwasher appliances generally include a silverware basket that can be mounted at various locations within the wash chamber, e.g., on a door of the appliance, on a front of a rack assembly mounted within the wash chamber, or within the rack assembly. A user can load utensils such as forks, spoons, and knives into the silverware basket. During operation of the dishwasher appliance, wash liquid from a spray assembly can flow into and through the silverware basket to clean the utensils located within the silverware basket.
In particular, wash liquid can enter silverware basket at a significant velocity during operation of dishwasher appliances. Such wash liquid can impact a utensil within the silverware basket and lift the utensil out of the silverware basket. Outside of the silverware basket the utensil can negatively affect operation of the dishwasher appliance. For example, the utensil can jam a rotating spray arm or clog a drain.
Certain silverware baskets include features for hindering unwanted or undesirable removal of utensils from the silverware basket. For example, certain silverware baskets include covers rotatably mounted to the silverware basket. The cells covers can act as a lid for the silverware basket when the covers are in a closed position thereby hindering removal of utensils from the silverware basket. Conversely, a user can freely add or remove utensils from the silverware basket when the covers are in an open position.
Generally, covers can rotate between the open and closed positions easily. However, such easy rotation can lead to user frustration with the cells covers. For example, certain covers can rotate between the open and closed positions at unwanted times. In particular, gravity can urge the covers to rotate closed from the open position. Unwanted rotation between the open and closed positions can occur at inopportune times such as when a user is loading or unloading utensils from the silverware basket. User frustration with such unwanted rotation can cause the user to remove the covers thereby increasing the chance that a utensil will exit the silverware basket and negatively affect dishwasher operations.
Accordingly, a silverware basket with features for maintaining utensils within the silverware basket would be useful. In particular, a silverware basket with features for selectively maintaining a cover of the silverware basket in an open position would useful.